Many people have a story to tell, and many hope one day to turn it into a novel. Writing your own novel is certainly attainable, and most easily done if you approach writing your book with discipline and an open mind. In addition to enlisting the help of a professional novel editing service, here are some tips to help make your journey to becoming a fiction author more successful:
- Avoid cliché openings. We have all heard, “It was a dark and stormy night.” The best way to start your novel is with a clear, honest statement written from the heart of your story. If it sounds like something you have heard before, keep searching. Once you have found it, you will have the keystone for your book.
- Do not bother with a prologue. Just dive in to writing your story.
- Especially when just starting with your first draft, do not get hung up on dialog. When in doubt, stick to “said.” Novice book writers are often tempted to overuse alternatives like “exclaimed,” “gasped,” “laughed” or “cautioned” without thinking the choice through carefully, and the result is often more distracting than engaging. Keep it simple. Use words that will keep your reader focused on the action rather than distracted on a particular word choice in your manuscript.
- Use exclamation points sparingly, if at all. Exclamation points are often used to add an emotion that should be communicated instead through the careful selection of word choice and sentence structure. Their use, except when necessary, is therefore often seen as a sign of amateur writing.
- No matter how much writing experience you have, use a professional novel editing service for your manuscript or book. This will not only make your novel stronger; it will also improve your writing overall.